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Friday, November 23, 2012

Terrorism

Posted by
Noor Pamiri

Friday,
November 23, 2012

From Print Edition (The News)

The tragic terrorist attacks in Quetta, Karachi and
Rawalpindi (November 21) are fresh wounds on the body of our weak and fragile
society. These are also a gory proof of the destructive potential of human
beings. Wars based on ideas, interests, hatred and animosity are not new, but
their intensity and frequency – thanks to lethal weapons and technology, which
have been used by the haters and fear mongers with impunity, leaving scars on
the soul of humanity – has increased exponentially over the past decades.
Humanity is the casualty whenever and wherever the bodies of human beings
explode into pieces by bombs, missiles or bullets. These incidents of violence
are not just a cause of grief and anger today; they are also fully capable of
keeping our future enchained in hatred and mistrust.

Pakistan came into being because the people of the Indian
Subcontinent wanted a safer and secure piece of land, where they would be able
to practise their faith in a protected and dignified manner. Or, that is what
we have been taught. What is happening, on the contrary, is that hundreds of
lives are being lost, specifically during religious ceremonies and rituals.
Mosques, imambargahs and shrines are routinely being bombed and thousands of
people, of all sects and segments of society, have died. Surely, this was not
the destiny that the makers and dreamers of Pakistan had imagined. Our state
and society has gone wrong on more than one front and the poor citizens are
paying for it with their lives and limbs.

This state of affairs needs to be questioned at all levels
and rectified through short- and long-term measures. At the social level, this
can be achieved by driving society towards appreciation of pluralism, where
differences are celebrated as strength. At the same time, the governance
mechanism needs to be revamped and modernised to ensure that criminals are
apprehended and tried. This cannot be possible without a robust judiciary and a
responsible media. The state and society share the onus for deterioration of
law and order alike. The solutions will also have to be crafted together. The
journey is long and painful, but we do not have any other choice.